EU IMPOSES NEW TARIFF ON IMPORT OF U.S. ETHANOLFeb. 22, 2013Agri-Pulse reports:

The European Commission (EC) agreed this week to impose a five-year, $83.03-per-metric-ton tariff, representing a 9.5 percent duty, on U.S. ethanol entering the European Union (EU) as a result of its investigation into alleged anti-dumping claims.

The decision was made during a meeting of the Council of the European Union in Brussels.

The move was immediately criticized by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. ethanol groups, such as the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy.

A USTR official told Agri-Pulse, "The U.S. is disappointed with this move by the EU, and we continue to have serious concerns about a number of procedural and methodological irregularities that took place during the final stages of the investigation."

In joint statement, RFA and Growth Energy said the "tariff is outrageous and based on absolutely no facts or evidence of harm.